---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The man, the art, the work--it is all one."
description: "\"The man, the art, the work--it is all one.\" — Eugen Herrigel"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/eugen-herrigel-22516_art_the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one-2_2912632.jpg"
---

#  The man, the art, the work--it is all one.

![“The man, the art, the work--it is all one.” quote by Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/eugen-herrigel-22516_art_the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one-2_2912632.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/eugen-herrigel-22516_art_the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one-2_2912632.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/eugen-herrigel-22516_art_the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one-2_2912632.jpg)

> “The man, the art, the work--it is all one.”

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Art, work, and the self are inseparable; they form a unified whole.

**In simple terms:** Art, work, self are one.

Key Takeaway

Integrate purpose into daily tasks.

Themes

unity craftsmanship mindfulness

Mood

contemplative inspired

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- creative projects
- skill mastery
- spiritual practice

Key Concepts

Zen philosophy holistic practice

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you unify purpose with routine?
- What parts feel separate?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on unity may ignore practical limits.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-work/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [He man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he-man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Working it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-it/)

## Related quotes

> [She was an absolute genius as a comedic actress, with an extraordinary sense for comedic dialogue. It was a God-given gift. Believe me, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/she-was-an-absolute-genius-as-a-comedic-actress-with-an-extraordinary/)

[Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/)

> [You want to be in a movie where your part works. That's the main thing. No matter how you beat yourself working on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goldblum/you-want-to-be-in-a-movie-where-your-part-works-that-s-the-main-thing/)

[Jeff Goldblum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goldblum/)

> [When you start working on a series, it's almost too much work. It's like a movie a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-hiroyuki-tagawa/when-you-start-working-on-a-series-it-s-almost-too-much-work-it-s/)

[Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-hiroyuki-tagawa/)

> [We wait for the tortoises to come. We wait for that lady who walks them. That’s how art works. It’s never a jackrabbit, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/we-wait-for-the-tortoises-to-come-we-wait-for-that-lady-who-walks/)

[Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/)

> [When art works travel from place to place, what you have is the opportunity to engage with the intellect of another person who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-art-works-travel-from-place-to-place-what-you-have-is-the/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [Society takes what it wants. The artist himself does not count, because there is no actual existence for the work of art. The work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/society-takes-what-it-wants-the-artist-himself-does-not-count-because/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [But I think you have to - whatever the environment looks like, it does enter into people's art work one way or another; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-judd/but-i-think-you-have-to-whatever-the-environment-looks-like-it-does/)

[Donald Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-judd/)

> [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/)

[Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/)

> [I drink maple syrup. Then I'm hyper so I just run around like crazy and work it all off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-mcadams/i-drink-maple-syrup-then-i-m-hyper-so-i-just-run-around-like-crazy/)

[Rachel McAdams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-mcadams/)

> [Every artist wants his or her work to connect with someone. I think that's why people make art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/every-artist-wants-his-or-her-work-to-connect-with-someone-i-think/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [I have an office full of product from brands trying to be in videos and an inbox full of songs from artists, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-kluger/i-have-an-office-full-of-product-from-brands-trying-to-be-in-videos/)

[Adam Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-kluger/)

> [Aishwarya, my parent's daughter, has been brought up with enough values inculcated where I will use my discretion in my choices. At the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/aishwarya-my-parent-s-daughter-has-been-brought-up-with-enough-values/)

[Aishwarya Rai Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/)

> [It's fun to see how other artists adapt my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/it-s-fun-to-see-how-other-artists-adapt-my-work/)

[Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/)

> [As an artist, you can't expect a producer to just bring you a record. If you walk in and say, 'I want Kanye West's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gourley/as-an-artist-you-can-t-expect-a-producer-to-just-bring-you-a-record/)

[John Gourley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gourley/)

> [I am a very big fan of Brian Eno, of his work as an artist and making his music, and as a producer. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-am-a-very-big-fan-of-brian-eno-of-his-work-as-an-artist-and-making/)

[Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/)

## More by Eugen Herrigel

> [This means that the mind or spirit is present anywhere, because it is nowhere attached to any particular place. And it can remain present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/this-means-that-the-mind-or-spirit-is-present-anywhere-because-it-is/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [You can learn from an ordinary bamboo leaf what ought to happen. It bends lower and lower under the weight of snow. Suddenly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/you-can-learn-from-an-ordinary-bamboo-leaf-what-ought-to-happen-it/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [The more a human being feels himself a self, tries to intensify this self and reach a never-attainable perfection, the more drastically he steps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-more-a-human-being-feels-himself-a-self-tries-to-intensify-this/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [“Don't think of what you have to do, don't consider how to carry it out!" he exclaimed. "The shot will only go smoothly when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/don-t-think-of-what-you-have-to-do-don-t-consider-how-to-carry-it-out/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [I must only warn you of one thing. You have become a different person in the course of these years. For this is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/i-must-only-warn-you-of-one-thing-you-have-become-a-different-person/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [Assuming that his talent can survive the increasing strain, there is one scarcely avoidable danger that lies ahead of the pupil on his road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/assuming-that-his-talent-can-survive-the-increasing-strain-there-is/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [He grows daily more capable of following any inspiration without technical effort, and also of letting inspiration come to him through meticulous observation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/he-grows-daily-more-capable-of-following-any-inspiration-without/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [Often nothing keeps the pupil on the move but his faith in his teacher, whose mastery is now beginning to dawn on him ……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/often-nothing-keeps-the-pupil-on-the-move-but-his-faith-in-his/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [“And what impels him to repeat this process at every single lesson, and, with the same remorseless insistence, to make his pupils copy it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/and-what-impels-him-to-repeat-this-process-at-every-single-lesson-and/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [You must act as if the goal were infinitely far off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/you-must-act-as-if-the-goal-were-infinitely-far-off/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [The spider dances her web without knowing there are flies that will get caught in it. The fly, dancing nonchalantly on a sunbeam gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-spider-dances-her-web-without-knowing-there-are-flies-that-will/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [In the case of archery, the hitter and the hit are no longer two opposing objects, but are one reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/in-the-case-of-archery-the-hitter-and-the-hit-are-no-longer-two/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [The hand that guides the brush has already caught and executed what floated before the mind at the same moment the mind began to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-hand-that-guides-the-brush-has-already-caught-and-executed-what/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [The more obstinately you try to learn how to shoot the arrow for the sake of hitting the goal, the less you will succeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-more-obstinately-you-try-to-learn-how-to-shoot-the-arrow-for-the/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [Far from wishing to awaken the artist in the pupil prematurely, the teacher considers it his first task to make him a skilled artisan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/far-from-wishing-to-awaken-the-artist-in-the-pupil-prematurely-the/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

[Explore all 27 Eugen Herrigel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

[Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/)

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

[Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The man, the art, the work--it is all one.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eugen Herrigel"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/eugen-herrigel-22516_art_the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one-2_2912632.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/eugen-herrigel-22516_art_the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one-2_2912632.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/eugen-herrigel-22516_art_the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one-2_2912632.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The man, the art, the work--it is all one.” — Eugen Herrigel",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Eugen Herrigel",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The man, the art, the work--it...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/the-man-the-art-the-work-it-is-all-one/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
